In a story in News India Times, Ruchi Vaishnav asks Indian-American millennials about the meaning of Thanksgiving and how they spend it with their family.

Like others who the reporter interviewed, Sadas Jaffer, 34, of Montgomery, New Jersey, spoke about adding some Desi flavors to the food.

Jaffer says she likes to spend Thanksgiving with her family and friends, “it depends each year, sometimes I spend it with my parents, and sometimes I spend it with my in-laws, sometimes with my friends.”

When asked if she had any special traditions, she said, “We like to mix it up every year. My husband is the chef and he makes turkey biryani, where you basically cook the biryani with the turkey.”

Jaffer also added that “We should think about the history of the United States” and acknowledge the contributions of Native Americans. “It shouldn’t just be about the people that came here but about the people that were here already.”

High school student Bharati Ganesh, of West Windsor, New Jersey, said that in their home, pumpkin pie and mashed potatoes sit alongside Indian food on the table.

“We are a beautiful combination of Indian and American,” Ganesh said, adding that her family likes to blend their different heritages together, allowing them to have a “fusion” Thanksgiving. “We watch football while the women cook, and have Indian music playing in the background.”

Another New Jersey resident, Rachit Choksi, acknowledged the history of the holiday: “It’s not just about a big feast. It’s about colonization, abuse and racial inequality.”

A college student who spoke to News India Times did not agree. Read what they said, as well as what other millennials shared about their Thanksgiving memories and traditions, in the full story at News India Times.

The publication also published a piece entitled, “Advance note by an immigrant to Thanksgiving, written in silence.” Click here to read it.

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